Table tennis: Swinging the racket billions of times, achieving a grand slam

Chapter 325 Lin Yunru: Following Chen Jin, I can really hone my skills!

Foie gras, mustard green apples, crisp salad, sea lobster in broth, breaded sea bass, black truffle lamb chops...

A total of twenty dishes, divided into different themes.

Each dish is uniquely presented and creatively prepared, and is carefully paired with unique tableware, visuals, music, and even a story.

It is a luxurious experience for the eyes, ears, and all senses.

Unfortunately, Chen Jin and his two companions, burdened with their own thoughts, ultimately failed to enjoy themselves to the fullest.

Even Zhang Jiahao, a foodie, had a much weaker appetite.

Seeing that the three were not very interested, the head chef almost lost his temper.

When we left the UV restaurant and returned to Bund 18, it was already 2:30 pm.

Three teenagers stood on the street, gazing at the bustling traffic before them, remaining silent for a long time.

Although the sun was shining warmly overhead, the early winter air still carried a chill that seeped through the collar and into the neck.

Zhang Jiahao shuddered, curled up, and began to tremble involuntarily.

"The Chinese Table Tennis Super League Finals will start on the 30th."

Chen Jin suddenly spoke up, "Coach Chen and Lin Yunru have both arrived in Shanghai today."

"So, I also have to check out today and check into the hotel arranged by the event organizers."

Xie Mingyang nodded: "Okay, just tell the hotel reception."

"Our flight is at 7:30 tonight, so we'll head back to the Training Headquarters first."

Zhang Jiahao rubbed his palms vigorously, then touched his cold ears, exhaling a puff of white breath. "We're leaving with the team tomorrow for Doha."

The WTT Doha Star Challenge officially begins on January 6th.

Six hundred champion points, a total prize pool of $270,000.

For Chen Jin, he had long lost interest in participating in commercial events of this caliber.

However, for Xie Mingyang and Zhang Jiahao, it is an excellent opportunity to accumulate experience on the field.

The coaching staff had already registered the two for the competition, which shows how much they valued them.

Moreover, in the Chinese Table Tennis Super League Finals, they were ultimately just substitutes for the Shanghai team and didn't get much playing time.

Instead of wasting time like this, we should seize the opportunity and go out to play more matches.

Moreover, this Doha Stars Challenge also features a gathering of top players.

Tomokazu Harimoto, Yuta Tanaka, Aruna, Lin Zhongxun, Pitchford... all of them are world-class table tennis players.

"Ah."

Chen Jin nodded, "Strive for good results, I'll be waiting for you ahead."

"Absolutely!"

Zhang Jiahao clenched his left fist.

When he was in the S Province team, people always mocked him as Chen Jin's follower.

Zhang Jiahao was not angry about this.

Instead of being ashamed, I feel proud of it.

Because he knew that with Chen Jin's talent and strength, he would make a name for himself sooner or later.

To be able to serve as Chen Jin's follower, one must be no ordinary person.

He was clearly praising himself in a roundabout way.

As a follower, one cannot fall too far behind.

Otherwise, wouldn't they not even be qualified to be a follower?

"Brother Jin."

Zhang Jiahao looked at Chen Jin with a serious expression and said earnestly, "You must also help the provincial team win the Table Tennis Super League championship!"

Although he has left the S Province team, and it was even an unpleasant parting of ways.

However, regardless of the circumstances, the S Province team trained him for two and a half years.

Deep down, I still have some feelings for the S Province team.

"of course."

Chen Jin smiled slightly, "This year's table tennis super championship is definitely going to be won by the S province team. Even Jesus couldn't stop them. I'm telling you."

"Moreover, the prize money for the singles MVP is definitely mine."

Every word he uttered was filled with unwavering confidence: "If you can make it to the men's singles semifinals at the Doha Star Challenge, I'll treat you to dinner."

Upon hearing the words "please have dinner," Zhang Jiahao immediately perked up.

"Just because of this meal you gave me, Brother Jin, if we don't make it to the semifinals, I'll swim all the way back from Doha!"

Zhang Jiahao made a firm promise.

"It's not necessary."

Chen Jin smiled.

After saying that, she turned to Xie Mingyang and said, "You keep it up too."

"Ah."

Xie Mingyang nodded. "Fan Zhendong's withdrawal from the world rankings will definitely cause ripples within the Chinese national table tennis team."

Be careful, you're all alone.

"Unless you volunteer, I will never allow myself to be without you as an opponent."

His tone and expression were extremely sincere.

"rest assured."

Chen Jin said, "I will handle this carefully."

"I'll leave first and rejoin the main force."

Back when he was at the UV restaurant, he had already received a call from Chen Longcan, asking him to meet at Xujiahui Sports Park at four o'clock.

"I'll have Uncle Han take you..."

Xie Mingyang said.

"Need not."

Chen Jin waved his hand, "I'll take a taxi myself."

"I also need to go back to the Shanghai team first."

Zhang Jiahao said to Xie Mingyang, "Are you going to have Uncle Han take me?"

"Take a taxi yourself."

Xie Mingyang glanced at him indifferently.

"..."

Zhang Jiahao rolled his eyes.

"In that case, see you next year."

See you next year.

See you next year.

Three teenagers, each following their own path and direction, walked alone, their steps firm.

……

12 month 30 day.

The Chinese Table Tennis Super League Finals kicked off at the Shanghai Stadium.

Unlike the first stage.

The finals will be a knockout tournament, best of five games.

The lottery results have already been released.

Semi-finals.

At 11:00 AM, the S Province team will face off against the Huangshi Huaxin team.

At 7 PM, Weiqiao Team vs. Shanghai Real Estate Team.

As early as the first stage, the S Province team had already faced off against the Huangshi Huaxin team once.

They defeated Huangshi Huaxin team with a score of 3:1.

Apart from Lin Shidong in the first singles, the doubles pair of Xiang Peng and Xue Fei, the second singles player Xiang Peng, and the third singles player Lin Shidong all suffered crushing defeats.

The Huangshi Huaxin team is centered around Lin Shidong, and its members also include Xiang Peng and Xue Fei.

All three were among the best of their cohort.

Lin Shidong, needless to say, is one of the future mainstays that the coaching staff is wholeheartedly cultivating.

Among the young players, he is second only to Chen Jin.

Xiang Peng and Xue Fei are slightly inferior, but they have some skill as they participate in various side tournaments.

It is worth mentioning that Xue Fei is a young penhold backhand player among the national table tennis team's first team members.

The backhand topspin is in no way inferior to the penhold grip.

However, the technique used on the table and forehand is somewhat rough, losing the essence of the penhold grip.

Therefore, its status in the Chinese national table tennis team is neither high nor low, which is somewhat awkward.

The men's and women's semifinals will start simultaneously.

The pool table next door is occupied by a girl group.

Sun Yingsha's Shenzhen University team will face off against Shanghai Longteng.

The atmosphere at the scene speaks for itself.

This presents a fantastic opportunity for the male team members to train against distractions.

Game 1.

The pair of Chen Jin and Lin Yunru will face off against the pair of Xiang Peng and Xue Fei.

Having already faced off once before, we had a general understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses.

In terms of individual ability, both Chen Jin and Lin Yun-ju are superior to their opponents.

In doubles, the two players, one on the left and one on the right, one horizontal and one vertical, complement each other perfectly and have excellent teamwork.

In contrast, Xiang Peng and Xue Fei, although they also use a horizontal and vertical racket combination, both of them are right-handed.

In doubles, positioning and transitions are a natural disadvantage.

How could they possibly be a match for Chen Jin and Lin Yun-ju?

The score is 3-0.

Chen Jin and Lin Yun-ru won the first game.

The second match.

Yan Sheng vs. Lin Shidong. The outcome was equally predictable; even though Yan Sheng had given his all, the sheer difference in strength rendered all his efforts futile.

5: 11.

7: 11.

4: 11.

Under Lin Shidong's violent onslaught, Yan Sheng had no chance to fight back.

They lost the game cleanly and decisively.

However, the experience gained in the first stage has greatly improved Yan Sheng's mentality.

My order was just to make up the number of people.

Anyway, with Chen Jin and Lin Yunru backing him up, he doesn't need to worry about it.

Thinking about it this way, I suddenly felt the world was vast and boundless.

The third match.

Chen Jin vs. Xue Fei.

Both players use penhold grip, but compared to Chen Jin, Xue Fei's weaknesses in his forehand and close-to-the-table play are glaringly obvious.

Even when he tries to fight back, Xue Fei still can't beat Chen Jin.

They were easily swept aside by Chen Jin 3-0.

Unlike the lineup in the first stage, in the fourth match, Huangshi Huaxin team did not send Xiang Peng as their player.

It was Lin Shidong.

In fact, this change was originally part of Chen Longcan's plan.

During the discussion last night, Chen Longcan suggested that Lin Yunru take the second order and Chen Jin take the third order.

In this way, Lin Yunru can avoid the trouble caused by his nemesis, Lin Shidong.

After all, the two had frequently clashed before.

Lin Yun-ju lost all five of his matches.

Chen Longcan was worried that Lin Yunru would have difficulty breaking through Lin Shidong's mental barrier if they faced each other, so he wanted to keep the two apart.

Unexpectedly, Lin Yun-ru insisted on playing three singles, challenging his inner demons.

Chen Longcan couldn't refuse him, so he had no choice but to agree.

As is well known, Lin Yun-ju's technique is characterized by his backhand topspin and speed in switching between forehand and backhand.

Power is not his domain.

Therefore, when facing a violent opponent like Lin Shidong, they are often at a disadvantage.

Because of the difference in strength, Lin Yunru relied too much on side-stepping attacks, but was unable to break through Lin Shidong's defense, thus falling into a disadvantageous position.

But this time, things are different.

During pre-match training, Chen Jin used a penhold grip to imitate Lin Shidong's playing style and served as Lin Yunru's sparring partner.

Backhand smashes, mid-to-long-range counter-attacks... Chen Jin is clearly stronger than Lin Shidong.

This helped Lin Yunru adapt quite a bit.

At the same time, it also boosted many people's confidence in fighting Lin Shidong.

"In previous matches, I was simply unable to handle Lin Shidong's powerful backhand smashes."

"But this time, I actually managed to pull through?"

Lin Yunru was both surprised and delighted, "Compared to Chen Jin, Lin Shidong is clearly not as explosive."

"Damn, following Chen Jin is really good for honing your skills!"

After a fierce battle.

In the end, Lin Yun-ju narrowly defeated Lin Shih-tung by a few points, with a score of 3:2.

This is the first time Lin Yun-ju has defeated Lin Shih-tung since the two began fighting.

The instant the ball hits the ground.

Even Lin Yunru, who was usually unfazed by praise or criticism, couldn't help but clench his fist and roar in anger.

It seemed like he had been holding back a lot of anger, and now it was finally released.

"Finally won... Awesome!"

Lin Yunru turned to look at Chen Jin, his eyes filled with gratitude.

He knew that without Chen Jin's sparring and guidance, defeating Lin Shidong would not be an easy task.

Although this match was not won easily.

But in any case, they won in the end.

With Lin Yun-ju defeating Lin Shi-dong, the S Province team also defeated the Huangshi Huaxin team with a score of 3:1, advancing to the 2024 Table Tennis Super League finals.

Tomorrow's opponent will be the winner of the semi-final between Weiqiao Team and Shanghai Real Estate Team.

……

7 p.m.

Chen Jin, Lin Yunru, and Yan Sheng quietly appeared in the last row of the audience.

The audience was very enthusiastic.

It makes you feel as if you are in the sweltering heat of summer.

Screams and cheers echoed throughout the stadium.

The situation was no less severe than in the morning.

"Go Wang Chuqin!"

……

"Fan Zhendong will win!"

……

The battle between fans has already begun even before the match has started.

Looking around, they are evenly matched.

Under normal circumstances, they would almost always be the dominant player.

"It seems that Dong Ge's withdrawal from the world rankings has aroused a lot of indignation among fans."

Chen Jin thought to himself, "There are quite a few more people who have come to support Dong Ge at the scene."

Of course, unlike some people...

Fan Zhendong has always looked down on the fan culture and has published several articles explicitly opposing it.

Game 1.

After a fierce battle, the doubles pair of Liang Jingkun and Huang Youzheng narrowly defeated Xu Xin and Zhou Kai 3-2.

Facing two current mainstays of the Chinese national table tennis team, veterans Xu Xin and Zhou Kai delivered commendable performances.

Then, the second match.

This is the key battle.

Wang Chuqin vs. Fan Zhendong.

This was the first match after Fan Zhendong announced his withdrawal from the World Volleyball Championship, causing a huge uproar.

Both online and offline, expectations are high.

Wang Chuqin was well aware that Fan Zhendong's withdrawal from the World Cup was clearly putting him in a very difficult position.

Nowadays, many people question him, saying that his so-called "world number one" is nothing more than a ranking.

In terms of raw strength, Fan Zhendong is superior to him.

Especially in the first stage, he lost to Fan Zhendong.

Therefore, this time, Wang Chuqin was determined to win: "Only by sparing no effort and giving it my all to defeat Fan Zhendong can I dispel the doubts from the outside world about me."

Wang Chuqin was full of fighting spirit.

During the match, players can use hook serves at will, regardless of whether they are breaking the rules.

Fan Zhendong frequently missed serves.

"what?"

Lin Yunru smiled wryly, "I thought I was the only one who couldn't handle Wang Chuqin's serve, but I didn't expect Fan Zhendong to have a good time too."

It should be noted that before this, Fan Zhendong was a well-known master of breaking through obscurations.

Now, however, he keeps getting hit by serves.

"Wang Chuqin's magic has advanced to the 2.0 era?"

Yan Sheng couldn't help but complain.

In the end, Fan Zhendong lost this crucial match by a score of 1:3.

However, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that, especially in the last game, Fan Zhendong was completely demoralized by Wang Chuqin's previous move, and he probably had never been so speechless in his life.

Of course, some are blind.

There was a frenzy online.

"Are you referees who said our big guy's shot was problematic?"

"A serve that the referee doesn't call is a good serve."

"Receiving serves is a required course. If you can't receive them well, you can't receive them well. Is it so difficult to admit that Chu Qin's serve is good?"

"If you're bad at receiving serves, you're bad. If you're bad, you need to practice more."

"Hehehe, is this the legendary number one in the world? He still got beaten up by Teacher Chu Qin."

"I thought someone was really good, but it turns out they're just like that. No wonder they dropped out of the world rankings. They played so badly, they'll fall out of the world rankings sooner or later."

……

Meanwhile, other fans, haters, and sports enthusiasts also joined in the frenzy.

"The world's number one player actually used magic on an unknown nobody. Is this a sign of moral decay or a distortion of humanity?"

"The King of Demeanor's magic has been upgraded again, entering the 2.0 era. Even Dong Ge, the former legend of breaking the rules, has now done it."

"Did the referee switch careers from working at a massage parlor? How could he not see such an obvious fake throw and cover-up?"

"It's not that we can't see it, it's that we dare not see it. Who would risk their own livelihood?"

"Sigh, let's see if Chen Jin can successfully break through the barrier tomorrow."

"Fan Zhendong and Ma Long have both dropped out of the world rankings. The current world top ten can't even have a full set of champions from the three major tournaments."

"@WTT, my daily reminder to submit the financial report."

……

(End of this chapter)